Saturday, September 6, 2008

ABCs

I know an unmarried couple struggling with the abortion issue. Both man and woman were a little wild as teenagers, and each ended up having a daughter. Both baby girls had to be raised by someone else. Three years ago they were thrilled to have a daughter together that they could raise as their own. A second pregnancy followed, but my friend was laid off his HVAC job for the summer, and his partner's latest checkup showed the possibility of Down Syndrome. He had second thoughts, she was outraged and was determined "not to kill it." A few weeks later she was feeling weak, went to the emergency room and discovered the leukemia she had once as a child had reappeared. My friend and the doctors brought up the possibility of abortion. His girlfriend refused and for a while was refusing to have her leukemia treated. My friend protested that if she were to die, he would be a single dad raising two children, one with a high probability of Down Syndrome. His girlfriend again accused him of being selfish. To date, she's been in the hospital for over a month and been getting treated for her cancer while still pregnant. My friend has a new job working for a wealthy property owner (but no benefits) and spends his time working, caring for his daughter and staying at the hospital.If you believe that human life begins at the moment of conception, you'll probably see the logic behind his girlfriend's reasoning. I on the other hand, see no reason to assume human life begins the moment the sperm enters the egg. Others argue that any form of birth control, including condoms, is anti-life and immoral. Who decides what's right? Possibly the Supreme Court, if McCain-Palin win this election.